(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) – Brigid Callahan Harrison, Ph.D., a Longport resident and professor of Political Science and Law at Montclair State University delivered the Keynote Address at the 48th Annual Rutgers University Public Purchasing Educational Forum at the Golden Nugget Hotel here on May 3.

The crowd of more than 600 school district, municipal, and county purchasers listened as Harrison described the connection between the State of New Jersey’s dire fiscal situation and the implications for the purchasers in municipalities and counties throughout the state, from Cape May and Atlantic to Bergen and Essex. “The state pension deficit, the continued downgrades of the state’s credit rating, and the declining state investment in infrastructure have serious effects on the fiscal realities that confront our counties, municipalities, and school districts,” Harrison explained.

The two-day conference sponsored by The Center for Government Services at Rutgers University provided training and continuing education credits for state-certified Qualified Purchasing Agents.

Kathleen Cupano, Assistant Director at Rutgers Center for Government Services, who coordinated the event noted that “Professor Harrison was the best received keynoter in my 18 years administering the educational forum. She is an excellent speaker who provided an informative overview of the challenges facing our state government and the need for true leadership to resolve these challenges. She presented an insightful, fair and balanced analysis of the current political environment in the state. The audience was totally engaged throughout her remarks and was overwhelming positive in their response to her presentation”